black-bottom banana cream pie

I'm back, I'm back! But, only for today... I have conquered most of my homework, so I figured I could squeeze out a little time to write you guys a post that's short and sweet :) I don't know about the rest of the United States (and the world, for that matter), but here in Texas, it's officially spring! And borderline summer, basically. Total shorts-and-a-tank-top weather. So, what I am sharing today is a cool and creamy pudding pie! Perfect for these hot springy nights that make you want nothing more than a heaping pile of fresh pudding with a mountain of whipped cream on top... or is that just me?

This was my first attempt at making pudding pie (unless you count my Truffle Tart), and I am so pleased to say it was not hard at all! Easy crust, easy pudding, layer, chill, and voila! Delicious! I don't know about the rest of you, but I personally am the most impatient person ever. When I saw that the directions stated to let this cool at LEAST six hours, I scoffed and said, "Pssh, I'm sure it does not need six whole hours!" Well, we ate it after about two hours and this is what a slice looked like...

Super gloopy and creamy and delicious, but it sure did not look like pie! We needed a serving spoon to get it out of the pie plate, but it was so worth it. YUM. I ate more the next day, and it looked a bit more like a slice of pie, but it was still really soft. At least you could kinda see the "black-bottom" chocolate pudding layer :)

Seriously though, you guys NEED to make this. It's amazingly delicious, and kind-of embarrassingly easy. But that's the best kinds of dessert, the ones with minimum effort and maximum deliciousness. Make this now!

Black-Bottom Banana Cream Pie
Adapted from Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2012
Yields: one 9-inch pie

for the crust
1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers (I didn't have any, so I ended up using Cocoa Puffs.. haha! Delicious though. :) )
1/2 cup white sugar (I used only a tablespoon or two to make up for the sweetness of the cereal)
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker/cereal crumbs, sugar, and salt, then pour in the melted butter. Mix with a fork until all crumbs are evenly moistened. Dump mixture in a ceramic or glass 9-to-10-inch pie plate, and press the crumbs evenly on the bottom and climb a bit up the sides. Bake for about 8 minutes, until the crust is set. Let cool completely before filling.

for the filling and topping
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups milk (any fat content is fine, I used skim)
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 medium bananas, sliced 1/4" thick
1 1/2 cups heavy cream + 2 tbsp powdered sugar (eyeball this, its just for the topping anyways!)

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar with the cornstarch and a bit of the milk, whisking vigorously to make sure there are no lumps. Add in the rest of the milk and the egg yolks, whisk until smooth, and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until the pudding is very thick and boiling, 5-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and add in the vanilla extract. Pour half of the vanilla pudding into a separate bowl, and add the chocolate into the pudding remaining in the saucepan. Whisk until the pudding is lump-free and the chocolate is melted. Pour all of the chocolate pudding into your prepared pie crust, spread evenly, then top with the banana slices. Top carefully with the vanilla pudding, smoothing the top, then refrigerate for at least six hours. Don't say I didn't warn you. :) When ready to serve, beat the heavy cream using an electric mixer until medium peaks form, then sprinkle in the powdered sugar. Mound on top of the chilled pie, then top with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings. Serve!